Ollie in Between: Chapters 26–34

by Jess Callans
In this middle-grade novel, twelve-year-old Ollie has to navigate puberty while figuring out where they fit in, dealing with bullies, and navigating new and old friendships.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-7, Chapters 8-15, Chapters 16-25, Chapters 26-34, Chapters 35-44
15 words 7 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. relocate
    move or establish in a new place
    The sound of my dad’s bedroom door shutting pulls my focus just long enough for me to make the decision to relocate.
  2. condolence
    an expression of sympathy with another's grief
    People were giving Dad their condolences in our living room like condolences help anyone feel better, and I said, I’m going to my room.
  3. writhing
    moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
    The constrictor is growing and writhing and taking up the space I need to survive.
  4. stagnant
    not circulating or flowing
    Even the air in my squeezed-shut lungs feels more like stagnant swamp gas than anything life-sustaining.
  5. overwhelm
    charge someone with too many tasks
    “I don’t want to overwhelm her, but I just need to know she’s okay.”
  6. postpone
    hold back to a later time
    “I think we should postpone book club.”
  7. phobic
    suffering from irrational fears
    I’m linked with people like me, but also something else. A poison in the soil, maybe. The phobic, hateful way of the world that hurt before, but now? It takes everything I’ve got not to uproot and run.
  8. inadequate
    lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
    I feel inadequate.
  9. scrimmage
    practice playing (a sport)
    “Gonna go play with your boyfriend, Nate? Or come scrimmage? I’m sure Theo would jump at the chance to play forward.”
  10. decipher
    make out the meaning of
    I stare at the massive wall of feminine hygiene products for approximately twenty years, trying to decipher the code.
  11. categorically
    in an absolute, definite, or firm manner
    Point being, packages from Mimi and Pop Pop are usually exciting, and frequently delicious. This is categorically neither of those things.
  12. determined
    characterized by great firmness of purpose
    “Your school called?” He’s wearing Lila’s look. The one where she looks into your brain and worms out all your secrets, but his eyes are tired and confused rather than determined.
  13. wallow
    devote oneself entirely to something
    Maybe it’ll be okay, but it doesn’t feel that way now and I won’t know for sure until I start moving forward, which I’m not ready to do. Yet. So let me wallow.
  14. disintegrate
    break into parts or components or lose cohesion or unity
    And then you erase it so much that the paper disintegrates.
  15. verge
    the limit beyond which something happens or changes
    But someone on the verge of vomiting isn’t going to stop to pick up a chair, so I bolt up the two little flights of stairs to my bathroom.
Created on Thu Apr 02 08:21:57 EDT 2026 (updated Tue May 05 15:40:35 EDT 2026)

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